Nightmare
by Demigoddess8
Summary: Encouraged by reoccurring nightmares, Hiccup goes on a quest to in search of another Night Fury to quench Toothless' thirst for a family of his own kind. Facing many difficulties along the way, they uncover concealed secrets from their dreary past...
1. Nightmares

Hey guys! It me, Demigoddes8 here. This is my first fanfic so don't judge. This is placed after How To Train Your Dragon 2. Please take time to Read and Review. I promise to make the plot as mysterious and exciting as possible. And I'll try to update often. I know the chapter's short, but I promise to make the future ones longer… if I can. Anyway, here's the story.

As he lay in bed within an uneasy sleep, Hiccup continued to have the same nightmares that he'd had for the past few months. He tossed and turned under his covers, his face beaded with cold sweat.

The nightmares were always the same: Hiccup was alone in the middle of a thick, dense forest. He was following a trail of little black things. Then, he realised they were glistening black scales, just like the ones he had found on the ground the day he saw Toothless for the first time. Something rustled in the bushes ahead of him and he immediately pulled out his special shield.

He hesitantly moved forward and froze as he heard a soft growl. A mysterious girl revealed herself from the bushes. She had dark hair as black as ebony that was pulled into a lose pony tail. Her intimidating, deep blue eyes signalled enemies to stay away. She looked exactly like Hiccup himself, except for the eye colour and hair which was longer and a bit darker than his. She unsheathed a silver dagger and held it up, glaring at Hiccup.

Suddenly, a large, black reptile stepped out of the undergrowth. It was another Night Fury! It growled fiercely at Hiccup and came forward to strike. As Hiccup backed up, he caught a glimpse of the girl motioning for the dragon to stop. The girl was about to say something when she was interrupted by a booming roar.

Hiccup turned around to face a repulsive, vermillion reptile. It had at least a hundred rows of steely, dagger-like teeth. It was nothing like Hiccup had ever seen. Even in a situation like this, he couldn't help but get a bit excited as he'd discovered a new dragon, but his emotions were still overwhelmed with terror.

The dragon raised it's claws to strike, but before they could hit Hiccup, the girl stepped in front of him and took the shot. The poor girl was blown away, her head hit a nearby rock and she blacked out. Hiccup rushed to her aid to see if she was alright. As the rogue dragon prepared for a second attack, the Night Fury raced forward and fired plasma blasts at it. The Night Fury reminded Hiccup so much of his own dragon, but at the same time, he was a 100% sure that it wasn't Toothless. Hiccup tried to find a pulse on the unconscious girl and thankfully, he did.

He turned around to find the Night Fury on the ground, defeated by the enormous dragon. The dragon slumped forward and readied itself to strike once more.

As it's paw made contact with Hiccup, his eyes shot open!

He sat up on the bed, breathing heavily. He looked around the room to find Toothless sleeping peacefully in his usual spot.

"It was just a dream…" Hiccup told himself continuously. It was barely dawn. Hiccup needed to clear his mind. He walked over to Toothless and gently nudged him. The Night Fury opened one glistening, teal eye and grunted in a cute, dragon-like way.

"Come on, bud." Hiccup whispered, "We're going on a morning flight." Toothless groaned in annoyance, but got up anyway. Hiccup saddled Toothless up and climbed on his back. They flew out through the wide window and out into the stunning morning sky.

What do you think? Is it alright? Please make sure to R & R.

This is Demigoddess8, signing out. For now…


	2. Great' Ideas

Hey peeps, it's me again. Another short chapter…sorry. Next one will be better. Please R & R It would mean a lot to me. Anyway, here's the second chapter…

As Hiccup was patrolling the Berk borders on Toothless' back, his thoughts lingered on the crazy dreams that he's been having. Did they mean something? Who was the mysterious girl? She seemed quite familiar… He'd have to think about that later as it was already breakfast time.

"Well bud, there's nothing happening. No crazy Outcasts or Berserkers trying to invade Berk. So, I guess we should head back."

Toothless nodded in agreement and zipped downwards at sonic speed. As they were zooming across the sky, they saw various dragons flying together in little groups. This only made Hiccup think more about how Toothless was isolated from the rest of the dragons. He was like an outsider or a lone wolf… lone dragon that is. In his dream, he'd seen another Night Fury. If these dreams were real, there was still a chance to find another Night Fury for Toothless. He couldn't bear to see his dragon alone anymore. That's when Hiccup got an idea. Since his mother had taken up the responsibility of being chief after his father's death, Hiccup had nothing to do around Berk anymore. He would journey out of Berk to find Toothless a fellow Night Fury, even if it meant going outside of the Archipelago.

They stopped by at their house. Hiccup hopped off Toothless' back and walk into his house, only to find his mum waiting for him.

"How was your day Hiccup? Beautiful morning for a flight, isn't it?" She asked.

"Oh, it was fine," Hiccup huffed as he rushed past his mother, hoping she wouldn't suspect anything. But his mother knew better…

"Okay, Hiccup. What are you up to?"

Hiccup scratched his head, he had to tell her sooner or later. "I was thinking…" He was cut off by a blonde girl.

"Well, that's dangerous." Hiccup turned around to see Astrid leaning against the wall. "So tell me, Hiccup. What's your 'great' idea this time?"

"Well, Astrid. I was thinking about how Toothless is always alone. He hasn't got a family and there has to be at least one Night Fury out there somewhere. All the dragons are under control now, so I'm not really needed around here. I thought I'd make myself useful and go look for another Night Fury for Toothless." He didn't mention anything about his nightmares because they would probably think that he'd finally gone crazy.

His mother seemed to consider this for a moment. "Hiccup, don't you think that if there were other Night Furies out there, we would've already found them?"

"But Mum," Hiccup whined, "we just haven't searched hard enough. There are so many other places out there that we haven't discovered yet. Just think about it, there could be whole new species of dragons, and among them, we could possibly find a Night Fury. Come on, Mum. Please."

Astrid, who had been quite all this time, replied, "I think it's a great idea." She said.

"You do?" Both Hiccup and his mother asked in unison.

"Yeah, I mean, it would be good for Toothless too. He's been alone for most of his life. And Hiccup's right, there could be other Night Furies out there." Astrid replied casually.

Hiccup's mother thought about this for a few moments and then, she smiled. "Alright, you can go on your quest to find another Night Fury. Just promise me that you'll be safe."

"Thanks mum, I promise." Hiccup said happily.

"Great," Astrid said, "when do we leave?"

"We?" Hiccup asked, "There's no 'we,' Astrid. I'm going alone."

"What?" Astrid questioned, "Why?"

"Because Berk is going to need you _and_ the others if we're going to have anymore dragon attacks."

"But we haven't had any attacks for more than 8 months."

"And if we do, Berk's gonna need someone to defend it. While I'm gone, I'll leave you in charge of the Dragon Training Academy."

Astrid hesitated for a bit. "Do I get to boss Snotlout and the Twins around?"

"Yes, but don't you do that anyway?"

"Fair enough. I'll do it."

"Thanks, Astrid." Hiccup said gratefully.

"Your welcome. So, when do _you_ leave?"

"Tomorrow at dawn. Right now, I need to go and get Gobber to help me with some new upgrades for my saddle and shield. I'll need it for the journey."

"Ok then, see you later." Astrid said as she started to leave.

"See ya." Hiccup replied. He turned to his mum and bid her goodbye as well. As he excited the house, he found Toothless waiting for him outside.

"Come on, bud. We need to go find Gobber. And then we'll go find Fishlegs to get some information on rogue dragons." Hiccup told his companion, remembering the fierce dragon from his dreams

The Night Fury growled in a cute motion as a way of agreeing with him. And together, they headed off to find supplies for their upcoming quest.

What do you think? Good or bad? Tell me the truth. Please R & R. This is Demigoddess8, signing out. For now…


	3. Supplies

Hey guys! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to 1Djj3 and Eeveecat1248. Thanks guys! Love ya! Anyway, here's the third chapter…

Hiccup and Toothless flew over to Gobber's.

As usual, Gobber seemed to be preoccupied, building his own gadgets and knickknacks. As Gobber was tinkering away, Hiccup gradually walked towards him, careful not to cause any sudden movements. He knew better than to startle a hook-handed man at work. As he slowly crept up to Gobber, his foot glazed against a stray hammer which was lying on the floor, causing a metallic clang to echo all through out Gobber's messy workshop.

All at once, Gobber turned around and held a silver sword in Hiccup's face. Or at least, Hiccup assumed it was supposed to be silver. The sword was gleaming orange and sizzling hot, indicating that it had just been made.

"Hiccup!" shouted Gobber, "You know better than to startle me when I'm working."

"I know, I know." Hiccup sighed, "I'm sorry, Gobber. Now will you _please_ point that sword away from me?"

"Oh, right. Sorry. So, what can I do for you, Hiccup?" Gobber asked, suddenly switching to his usual, cheerful tone.

"I was thinking…" he was interrupted.

"Well, that's dangerous."

"Really? You too?" Hiccup groaned, "Nevermind, I need your help. I need some more upgrades for for my shield and my saddle. Toothless and I are going to look for other Night Furies."

"Really? Hmmm. Are you sure about this?" Gobber questioned.

"Yes. I'm not needed around Berk anymore. Instead of wasting my time here, I might as well do something worth while."

"Okay. Who are you going with?"

"Toothless."

"Only him? You know it might be a good idea to have some reinforcements. Just incase. No offence, dragon."

Toothless growled in annoyance.

"Toothless has saved my life a lot of times. We'll be fine."

"You know; a lot of things could go wrong. You might run into some rogue dragons and get killed."

"I know, Gobber…"

"Or you could get lost."

"I know, Gobber…"

"Or you might catch a disease and die."

"I know… What?"

"I'm just saying, a lot could go wrong. Do you even know where to start looking?"

"Well… Not exactly…"

Gobber sighed. "You know, you're a lot like your father when we were wee lads. He would never plan his adventures either. Unless of course you count all those invasions to take over other lands, or when we went looking for Hamish II's treasure… but that's not the point."

"Okay…" Hiccup said, uncertainly, "Anyway… I need some new weapons too. Something not too heavy, but still effective. Do you have any of that Gronkle Iron left?"

"Nope. Ran out on the first day, remember? Hey, didn't I give Fishlegs my Gronkle Iron sword?"

"Oh, right. I could go ask him. I'll go now. While I'm gone, can you make me a scabbard to go with the sword? I don't think I can carry it around all the time. Oh, and make sure it's not too heavy. Here's my shield. Can you try and put in some upgrades too? I'll come back as soon as I can." And with that, Hiccup jumped on Toothless' back and flew away.

Gobber waved in the direction that Hiccup was headed and resumed his work.

Before going to Fishleg's place, Hiccup stopped by at his house and ran into his room. He looked through all his things, but failed to find the object that he had in mind.

"Where did I put it?" He muttered to himself. Hiccup turned his room upside down before looking into his wardrobe. There, in a small corner, just visible in the soft sunlight, was the hard cover of the Book of Dragons. He reached out and grabbed it. He would need it to record any details about new species of dragons that he might encounter during the voyage. He ran downstairs, exited the house and headed towards Fishlegs'.

Hiccup dropped off at Fishlegs' house to pick up any information he needed to know about dangerous, rogue dragons. If anyone knew the answer to defending themselves against unknown species of dragons, it was Fishlegs. He also needed to recover a certain Gronkle Iron sword that he had in mind.

Hiccup approached Fishleg's house and knocked. The door opened and Fishlegs' jolly face popped up behind it.

"Hey, Hiccup. How can I help you?" He asked in a merry voice.

"Oh hey, Fishlegs. Listen, I've been thinking…" He started once more.

"Well that's…"

"No! Don't say it!" Hiccup yelled, "Nevermind, I just need some information about rogue dragons. I assume Astrid told you about me going to find more Night Furies?"

"Yep. Astrid told us everything. Snotlout thought it was a stupid idea, but personally, I think it's a great idea. I mean, if you manage to find another Night Fury, it would save Toothless' species."

"Thank you, Fishlegs. Now, do you have anything for me? Oh! I almost forgot, I need to borrow your Gronkle Iron sword for a while as well."

"Sure. I'll go get it. But why do you want to know so much about rogue dragons? You have the ability to control every dragon you come across… except for the Screaming Death."

"Well…" Hiccup considered telling Fishlegs about his constant dreams. He could trust Fishlegs with his life, so what's the harm in revealing a harmless secret to him? "I've been having these dreams…" Hiccup explained everything to Fishlegs. Everything about the mysterious girl _and_ the rogue dragon.

"Oh, really? Well, we don't have solid proof that these dreams could mean anything, but there's still a slight chance that they might symbolize the future…" Fishlegs, replied. He seemed to be in deep thought.

"And I'm not taking any chances. I'm not gonna just sit here and do nothing if I have the chance to save my best friend's species." Hearing this, Toothless walked over to Hiccup and nuzzled him. (Crowd goes: AWWWWWWWWWW!) Hiccup patted the dragon's head and continued, "Come on, Fishlegs. I need your help."

"Fine. Hold on, I'll be right back…" With that, Fishlegs disappeared into his house. He was back in a couple of minutes, holding about eight or nine thick books and a couple of leather saddle-bags. He also had a gleaming sword in his hand. "Here's the sword." He stated while handing the sword to Hiccup, who gazed at his reflection on the smooth, reflective surface of the weapon.

"And here's everything else you'll need. These books are about far away locations. They'll tell you about islands outside of the Archipelago. And these books are all about rogue dragons and how to approach them without getting killed on sight. And there's also a few on great surviving skills and tactics. And these saddlebags will help you carry all this. One contains a tent big enough for both you and Toothless. Yes, it comes with instructions. I assumed you wouldn't need any matches because you have Toothless. And there's also a retractable fishing rod. It can go from six inches to two metres long." Fishlegs explained, pointing at each object while stating their purposes.

"Thanks, Fishlegs. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"It's alright, Hiccup. Just be careful."

"I will. I have Toothless don't I?" Hiccup said as grabbed the supplies and got up on Toothless' saddle. He then flew towards Gobber's workshop while Fishlegs stayed behind and waved.

By the time Hiccup reached Gobber's, the hook-handed man had completed constructing the scabbard with a flexible belt attached to it. The Gronkle Iron sword fit perfectly into the case.

"How did you even know the measurements of the sword?" Hiccup asked in wonder.

"I made this with Gronkle Iron on the same day I made the sword. I forgot all about it until you mentioned the scabbard."

"Oh, okay. That's why it's so light. It's perfect. Did you manage to think of some upgrades for my shield?"

"Yeah. I though we could the replace rope with a new one. I just made a flexible type of metal rope. It's just like a normal one, but way stronger…"

And with that, Hiccup and Gobber started exchanging ideas. Taking each other's thoughts into account and considering them. After they finished their plans, they set to work. They seemed to know each other's moves. When one needed a hammer, the other threw it to him without even looking. These actions reminded Hiccup of when he used to help Gobber around the workshop before Berk had made peace with the dragons.

Both of them kept running around in the work shop, gathering the materials they needed for their work. Toothless just kept looking back and forth, studying their movements carefully. The pair kept working until nighttime. By midnight, they had completed each set task.

"Thanks for your help, Gobber." Hiccup muttered while stifling a yawn

"Don't mention it. Glad I could help." Gobber replied.

Hiccup nudged the peacefully sleeping Night Fury and set a course for home. The silver moon shone glistening moonbeams on their faces as they rode through the gorgeous night sky.

When they reached their destination, both the dragon and the boy headed straight for their room and fell into a deep sleep. After a few hours of a dreamless sleep, the nightmares occurred once more, bothering Hiccup's flawless rest.

How was it? I promise that future chapters will contain more mystery and adventure. (Impersonates Rapunzel: And when I promise something, I never, ever break that promise. EVER.) Please R & R. This is Demigoddess8, signing out. For now…


	4. Crescent Isle

Hey, guys! So sorry for not updating in like 5 months… or more… Anywho, enjoy!

Hiccup woke up in shock!

He'd been having those nightmares again. Seriously, they were getting kind of irritating. He sat there, breathing heavily for what seemed like the thousandth time this month. Hiccup gazed outside the window and realised that it was dawn already. It was time to leave.

Hiccup yawned, stretched out his arms and got out of bed. After he got changed, he readied the supplies and placed them inside the saddlebags that he received from Fishlegs. He also slid into his flight suit which had tried to end his life him numerous times. He then gathered up the Gronkle Iron sword and scabbard, and strapped the belt around his waist. He also retrieved his newly upgraded shield and slung its strap around his back.

He carefully approached Toothless, in an attempt to wake the slumbering dragon. In return, he only received a painful slap in face, courtesy of Toothless' tail.

"Ow!" Hiccup yelped, "Toothless! What was that for?! Never mind. Come on, you big baby. We have to get going."

The drowsy reptile rolled his eyes and awakened, giving out a large yawn which highlighted his sharp teeth. He allowed Hiccup to saddle him up and position the saddlebags in their places.

Hiccup ran down stairs to discover that his mother was still asleep. He tip-toed over to the bed, careful not to wake her. He then leaned down and kissed her cheek. As he turned to leave, he placed a note on a nearby table and exited the room.

He reached his room and hopped up on Toothless.

"Come on, bud. Let's go." The dragon spread out his scaly, bat-like wings and zoomed out of the open window.

 **5 hours later…**

Hiccup and Toothless had flown over many islands by now. With Toothless' speed, they'd dashed across the Archipelago at sonic speed. Currently, they were flying over a vast, glistening sea that glinted in the Sun's golden rays.

In a few moments, Hiccup's tummy started to rumble, followed by an Earth-rumbling gurgle from Toothless' large, reptilian belly.

"Ugh! Stupid, stupid, stupid." Hiccup mumbled to himself. In his excitement for the quest, Hiccup had forgotten one very important subject: breakfast! As he scanned the area for a place to fish for a meal, his eyes caught a small, solitary, desert island in the shape of a crescent in the distance.

"Over there, bud." Hiccup told his scaled companion and lead him towards the isle.

Toothless landed on the dense floor of the island with a loud thud. Hiccup slid off his back and began to scout the surroundings, his dragon close behind him. They came upon the shore of the island and found a good place to fish.

"Ok, Bud. You know what to do." Hiccup obtained an odd looking fishing net from Toothless' saddlebags and stretched it out on the dank sand. It had been a gift from Gobber and it seemed big enough to hold a dragon. In fact, it wasn't even a fishing net. It was actually a part of a trap that was used to capture dragons in the olden days. Despite this fact, the trap made quite a good fishing net.

Hiccup made his way towards the water until he was waist-deep in cool, refreshing water. He signalled the dragon with a special gesture and Toothless dove in at amazing speed, creating a whirlpool of crystal blue water.

A shoal of silver fish panicked as they found themselves trapped inside a bubbly whirlpool. Toothless guided the forceful of body of water towards Hiccup and his net. Successfully, Hiccup managed to capture the majority of the school of fish and went back to shore.

He scavenged the island for driftwood and brought them back to their temporary base-camp with the aid of Toothless, who could carry about a dozen sticks at a time.

As they passed through the trees, trying to find their camp, Hiccup noticed a particular grove of trees that seemed strangely familiar. It rang a bell at the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. He decided to ignore these irrational thoughts and continued his task.

After dividing the fish up into two parts, ¼ for himself and ¾ for Toothless due to his massive stomach, Hiccup roasted his share over the fire and had his breakfast. Toothless, who had no interest in cooked food, gobbled his share of fish up in a matter of seconds.

When they had both finished their meal, they prepared to take flight once more, in search of another Night Fury, or at least a new species of dragon. That's when Hiccup had an idea. It had never occurred to him that he had never been on this island before and that this might be the start to their quest.

He quickly unravelled his portable map and inspected the inky islands on the paper. To his delight, there was no sign of a crescent-shaped island due north from Berk. He almost leaped for joy as he began sketching the island onto the map, adding more paper from his spare-paper pocket during the process.

After he had completed his drawing, he quietly admired his own artistic ability and packed the map away.

"Change of plans, Bud," Hiccup said to his dragon in a determined voice, "we're going to start our quest from this island. So, let's get exploring!"

And so, the dynamic duo set off to comb the sandy beaches, creep through the forest and swim in the lakes of the anonymous island until they were up to their final breath. Or until they discovered a new species of dragon…

Once again, sorry for the late update. And I might not be updating much because of school & stuff, but I'll update as often as I can… Please R & R.


	5. Dreams Revealed

Howdy, peeps! Good to see you again. Enjoy the chappie! :)

Hiccup and Toothless were scavenging the deep, dense woods. At each snap of a twig or creaking of a branch, both jumped into battle positions and so far, all had been false alarms, caused by either enraged squirrels or merry, little birds.

Hiccup groaned in frustration. He had been hoping to find even a minute source of evidence that would lead them to the habitat of another Night Fury, or at least a new species of dragons.

As they trudged along the dense undergrowth, Hiccup noticed a peculiarly familiar group of trees. They were the same ones he had seen a while ago. He thought as hard as he could, foraging his brain to discover even a hint of where he had seen that particular location before.

Just as he decided to give up and return to Toothless, an undefined source gave a loud crunch beneath his heels. He steered his foot sideways, only to find a shattered piece of a thin, black, oval-like substance.

Hiccup stared at it in bewilderment. He moved closer to collect the fragments in his hands, but another elliptical segment caught his eye. A similar black object was laying on the forest floor, only a few steps away from his current position. The only variation was that this item wasn't smashed into smithereens. And a few metres away was yet another one of these mysterious objects, followed by another, then another, and another.

Realisation dawned on him as he finally deciphered where he had seen these exact scenes before. It was from his dreams! And those 'little black things' weren't anonymous items at all. They were the scales of a Night Fury!

Hiccup resisted the urge to jump and squeal in joy. The giddy and happy emotions swirling inside of him resembled that of a young Viking who had killed his first dragon. At least this was so in the olden days when it was kill or be killed.

"This is it, Toothless!" He cried, "Solid proof that another Night Fury actually lives on this island! WHOO HOO!"

He couldn't hold in it much longer, he leapt off the ground and began jumping up and down in a jovial manner. Toothless, who had never seen this side of Hiccup, was quite concerned, but he made a decision to join in anyway. They had just discovered evidence of the fact that there may be another Night Fury dwelling on this very island! So, why not take a bit of time to celebrate?

While the dragon and the Viking were cheerily prancing around, none of them noticed the swaying of branches and the snapping of countless twigs as an unidentified shape loomed in closer towards them.

Toothless suddenly ceased his dancing. He shot his head upwards. A low growl rumbled at the back of his throat as he unsheathed and bared his teeth. This instinct only surfaced when he sensed a suspicious or dangerous presence among them.

Hiccup detected this change of behavior and leapt into his battle stance. He had a suspicion that it might be a dragon hunter, one who saw the scales himself and was out hunting Night Furies…

"Toothless, go hide in the behind those bushes."

The dragon growled in protest.

"Go, now! That's an order, Toothless."

Toothless whimpered sadly, but did as instructed, completely disappearing out of sight underneath an enormous cluster of shrubs located to the left.

The snapping and swishing of trees increased up ahead as Hiccup sensed the foe or friend draw closer. He prepared himself for the worst.

As the noises reached the edge of the undergrowth, they died down all at once.

Hiccup squinted in an attempt to gaze through the thick coats of leaves to find out what the cause of the rustling and snapping was.

"Shhhhhhhh!" A whispered hush was heard from the bushes.

Hiccup wondered in awe about what kind of a dragon would have the ability to make that call. Then, he referred back to his nightmares.

"After the scales," he muttered quietly, his shaking voice barely above a whisper so that only he could hear, "it's always the…"

Before he could finish his sentence, a pale skinned figure revealed themselves from their concealed position.

Just as he'd dreamt, there she was!

And that's the end of Chapter 5! P.S.: Did anyone realise that I have knack for posting chapters on the 1st day of a particular month? Eg: I published the book on the 1st of November. And the last chapter was posted on the 1st of April, and this was updated on the 1st of May! That was a total coinkydink! (Coincidence!) I just noticed this today…

Anyway… please R & R. :)

This is Demigoddess8 signing out. For now…


	6. A Startling Encounter

**Hey, guys! Sorry for the late chappie. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

There she stood, just like in his nightmare, with ebony hair, deep blue, sapphire eyes and a fierce glare. But unlike in his nightmares, the glare seemed different. It appeared less threatening, but threatening nonetheless…

Her waist-length hair was let down in slight curls around her shoulders, instead of being bundled up in a loose ponytail like in Hiccup's dreams. And her eyes flashed dangerously as she advanced towards him. Her actions went unnoticed by the hypnotised Viking boy.

Hiccup was too overwhelmed to move. He thought his nightmares meant nothing… He thought they weren't real… Well apparently, his dreams _were_ real because there she was... A living, breathing person, just like himself.

A thousand confusing thoughts were swirling inside of Hiccup's brain, making things more complicated than they should've be.

The girl slowly approached Hiccup, her glare gradually turning into one of confusion and suspicion. In a matter of seconds, after a number of cautious steps, she was barely a few metres away from him.

Finally snapping out of his trance and coming back into reality, Hiccup staggered backwards, startled by the sight of the anonymous girl walking towards him.

Noticing this, the girl's eyebrows furrowed deeper. As a typical Viking would, she seemed to switch emotions quite quickly, but she appeared to be taking that simple act of innocent clumsiness as a major threat.

All at once, she unsheathed a silver dagger from an iron scabbard which was hanging around her leather belt. A metallic clang echoed through the forest as metal brushed against metal.

The forest sank into an eerie silence. Not a twittering bird could be heard. Nor a single chatter of a squirrel. The wind seemed to have frozen in place, ending the rhythmic rustling of the leaves. The empty forest seemed to stare at Hiccup, as if daring him to speak.

Hiccup felt a knot at the back of his throat. Gulping it down, he struggled to utter even a single word. But the stranger beat him to it.

"Don't move…" the girl warned, not even a hint of fear tracing her voice, "If you value your life…" Her strong voice was buttressed with confidence, resembling that of a great Viking chief's.

As a result to her malicious warning, Hiccup remained silent.

"What are you doing here? And more importantly, _how_ did you get here?" Her voice was still as hostile as before, hateful venom dripping off each of her words.

It took Hiccup a while to answer, "I-I well I… was… um… you see…" he continued nervously, running a hand through his light-brown locks while stumbling upon his own words.

It wasn't only the silver weapon pointed directly at him that frightened him. In fact, the dagger was only the cause of a minority of his fear. He'd dealt with many similar life-threatening situations before. Like with Dagur for example… The deranged Berserker had almost electrocuted Hiccup and his dragon with the aid of a Skrill, one of the most powerful dragons in the whole Archipelago.

Oh, no, Hiccup wasn't at all concerned by the meagre dagger. He was mostly stupefied by the fact that his nightmares were becoming a reality…

He had so many questions to ask from the girl, questions that required immediate answers. But first, he would have to figure out whether or not she was a friend. Surely she unsheathed the dagger only as a source of protection, and not just to kill him off right on the spot for her own entertainment… Surely…

Taking a deep, long-lasting breath, Hiccup uttered the first words he'd said since the unknown had girl arrived.

"Listen…" Hiccup tried to reason with her as he took a step towards her, trying to prove that he was a friend and could be trusted. The girl appeared to interpret these movements as a threat and stepped forward at once, thrusting the dagger onward as well.

Hiccup felt beads of sweat form on his forehead as he stared cross-eyed at the tip of the silver blade that was placed approximately a millimetre away from his nose. The dagger gleamed in a treacherous manner, striking even more terror into Hiccup's heart, which was beating at a rate of a hundred beats per second.

Despite all of this, Hiccup dared to speak. Whether it was an act of stupidity or of great courage is known by none, but it was true that even Hiccup was surprised by his nerve…

"Listen," He repeated boldly, infusing his words with as much confidence as possible, "I'm a friend…" His voice softened as he recited the last bit. He looked deeply into the depths her eyes, showing that he was being sincere.

Something seemed to spark in her eyes. Her glower gently faded away… She lowered her dagger, her sapphire orbs still looking into Hiccup's own green ones.

She took a step backwards, and stood still, her frown melting away into a look of light surprise.

Hiccup gave out a sigh of pure relief. His brave tone had concealed any signs of fear in his words, helping him succeed in convincing the girl that he meant no harm.

Now that his confidence was boosted, he took a couple of steps towards her, but little did he know that it was going to be one of the worst mistakes he could ever make…

As he treaded forward, his foot became caught in a tangled piece of a stray tree root and he tripped. And by chance, who should he fall upon, but the very girl he'd hoped _not_ to fall upon?

They hit the hard, forest floor with a loud thud.

The girl let out a cry of fury, pushing him off and going for her dagger. Her hands grabbed at the empty air at her side, she turned and realised in horror that her dagger had been lost in the previous struggle. She looked around frantically in search of her weapon.

Hiccup groaned as he pushed himself of the ground. He noticed the girl glancing around in a hassled method.

The raven-haired girl finally located the hidden item, lying underneath the thick roots of a large tree. And she ran for it.

Hiccup, detecting that the girl was going for her dagger, raced after her.

The girl had surprising speed. She ran as if her life depended on it, which was probably the idea that was running through her head…

She managed to reach the weapon first and made a grab for it. She whipped around to face Hiccup, but wasn't quick enough to plunge the dagger into her opponent's heart.

Hiccup, being unable to halt on time, crashed into her once more, sending them both toppling to the ground.

Hiccup let out slow breaths in pain and attempted to open his eyes even a mere fraction. He sensed a solid object enclosed in his right palm. He glanced at his hands, only to catch sight of the dagger.

Somehow, the dagger had made its way into his hands. Now, if anyone was to view the scene, it seemed as though Hiccup was the one who was attacking the girl, instead of the other way around.

Before Hiccup could get back up on his feet and mumble a shaken apology, a resounding roar reverberated through the woods, bouncing off of each stone and tree.

A vicious creature, dark as the night and with fury filling its eyes, leapt out of the bushes from which the girl had revealed herself earlier. Its teeth were bared and it had a look of pure hatred engraved on its face.

Hiccup gaped at the beast, utterly baffled by its presence. It was a _Night Fury!_ Another living, breathing _Night Fury!_ But unlike in his previous fantasies, he didn't experience that sweet feeling of success and triumph…

Hiccup had always imagined the act discovering a new Night Fury as a happy, memorable occasion. However unforgettable it was going to be, this particular situation wasn't going to live up to his expectations.

The giant reptile's eyes varied from Hiccup's own Night Fury's. Instead of resembling a light-green colour, they were a moderate shade of blue. The black slits of its eyes were as thin as could be, indicating it had entered a defensive phase…

Before Hiccup could think twice about the situation, the Night Fury opened its mouth wide. A hot, blue flame was forming at the back of its throat as it prepared to fire a plasma blast.

Hiccup closed his eyes, knowing he wouldn't be able to get away fast enough. Tightening his eye-lids to block out any vision of the terrible incident about to occur, he prepared himself for the excruciating pain that would burn through his skin at any moment.

While thoughts of panic were swirling inside of his brain, he heard another thunderous roar.

Thinking it was the end, he bowed his head and braced himself for the worst. But the scorching agony never dawned upon him…

In the next few seconds, several series of roars were heard, followed by loud thuds, growls and the snapping of numerous twigs and branches. The sounds of plasma blasts being fired was heard as well, but somehow, each shot seemed to miss Hiccup. The noises originated from both Hiccup's right and left sides, further confusing the clueless Viking. Six shots were heard, closely followed by either the cracking of a rock or the splitting of a tree trunk.

Hiccup expected the chaos to come to a conclusion there, but was thoroughly surprised to hear more blasts being shot. The seventh, eighth and ninth shots were fired, and more followed, totaling all the way up to eighteen explosions. And that's where the turmoil terminated.

Hiccup was more curious than ever. Eyes still closed, he attempted to rummage through his brain to find a possible solution to the cause of the increased amount of plasma blasts. When nothing came to mind, his curiosity finally got the best of of him.

Ever so slightly, he opened one of his eyes. Both of his eyes shot open at the sight. What he saw amazed him far beyond anything he had ever seen before…

Two Night Furies, facing each other from opposite sides of the clearing. Both wearing treacherous expressions of scorn.

One growled fiercely, the other growled back in response, showing its dagger-like teeth.

The Night Furies glared at each like there was no tomorrow, neither of them blinking or even thinking of backing down.

Hiccup turned to the girl to see if she had any clue as to what was going on, but the expression she wore said otherwise. She seemed as shocked about the situation as he was.

It only took Hiccup a second glance to notice that one of the Night Furies was none other than his best bud, Toothless.

Hiccup assumed that Toothless must have sensed that he was in trouble and raced to the rescue. As grateful as he was towards Toothless' loyalty, Hiccup couldn't help but worry for his pal. That last thing he wanted was for his faithful dragon to get hurt.

Both Night Furies appeared to have run out plasma blasts. At least this would keep the violence to a minimum.

But Hiccup thought wrong…

All at once, the dragons began dashing at each other at incredible paces.

Never in a million years could Hiccup have believed what happened next.

Hiccup, being the impulsive Viking that he was, stepped in between the dragons, disregarding the consequences.

He stood valiantly, facing Toothless. Whatever the cost, he just couldn't risk Toothless getting hurt.

But Toothless didn't seem to want to stop. There were wild flames dancing in his eyes, flames of utter loathing…

Hiccup pondered about what to do. Before he could think, something amazing ensued.

Out of all the surprising events that had happened on that very day, the next occurrence shocked Hiccup more than any other.

The girl stepped up and took her place behind him, facing the rogue Night Fury.

But Hiccup ignored the feeling of surprise and anxiety that was further tightening his gut. After all, who has the time to worry about a crazy, violent Viking girl standing right beside them when they are so close to death?

So, closing his eyes, Hiccup turned away and held his hand out, just as he usually did when taming a wild dragon.

The roars of the Night Furies rang in his ears, but Hiccup stood his ground.

Back to back with a stranger, he awaited his end.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed! Please R & R. :)**

 **P.S.: I apologise in advance for any future delays in chapter updates.**


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